I first tasted their food back when I was still in College, when my late uncle would bring home food from Sushi-yum. I have tasted their Tempura, which is delicious with its breading, but quite bland to me that you really have to dip it in the sauce that came with it. The shrimp on the other hand is cooked perfectly, not overcooked, so its not tough nor chewy. I have also tried their Breaded Porkchop. The breading is real crispy as it should be, and the porkchop, juicy. I like the coleslaw served as siding with their Porkchop, especially the Thousand Island Dressing on it.
Recently, I tried their Cheesy Chicken Roll, and it is really cheesy and delicious but, the chicken is quite tough. It is rolled and breaded, then fried but I think, fried too much. They also have this Ham and Cheese Japanese Pancake. Honestly, this is my favorite in Sushi-Yum. It is like a thick omelet. It has real ham on it and you can really taste the cheese inside, creamy, and tasty. And, it is quite heavy in the stomach so you have to limit your other orders if you would try this dish. It will make you full in no time. Thinking about this Japanese Pancake makes my mouth water.. Geez!
My food trip buddy, Minnie, and me went to eat there also and tried their sushi platter. One that includes basic sushi/maki variants like Kani, Tamago, California. It is quite good also, almost comparable to sushis and makis of more expensive Japanese restos. We also tried their Takoyaki which are like pancake rolled into balls with squid in it. It has Teriyaki sauce and dried fish shavings on it and I think, mayo-mustard and served as a snack in Japan. Their Takoyaki is the third Takoyaki I have tried and it is real good. But, the only thing that I missed on their Takoyaki is that theirs do not have fish shavings on them that would have given it the aroma and the saltiness that it should taste. Instead, the saltiness came from the Teriyaki Sauce.
We also tried their Kani Salad. It has mostly lettuce in it, of course the kani which is torn into strips and there are also mango chunks and strips of seaweed sheets on top. The mayonnaise on top is a delicious touch. Although, it is quite too much that the salad became a little too salty than how it should be. Otherwise, it is perfect. The sweetness of the Kani, the sweet and sour taste of the mango chunks.. If, however, you are looking for a refreshing salad, I am afraid this Kani Salad is not for you. Because of the generous amount of mayo on top of it, is quite heavy opposite of the light texture you are looking for in a refreshing salad.
As for the Makis, we picked Futo Maki because of the sweet center that I particularly love. Futo Maki has I think cucumbers, and a little chunk of Tamago, and Kani, and what appears to be preserved squid part. The sweetened one. Which, I think is where the sweetness is coming from. Lastly, we ordered their Chicken. It is quite spicy, but very juicy. It is fried and coated with sauce and served with sesame seeds on top. It is quite spicy so if you are the type of person who cannot take spiciness, then this dish is not for you because it can get spicier and spicier, bite after bite. But for those that can handle a little heat, then you gotta try this. Real winner!
As for dessert, we have tried their Ice Cream Tempura. The ice cream is dipped in Tempura batter and then fried. It is good also, but you have to eat it fast since the ice cream melts in no time. Another comment is that it is quite oily. They should have drained the oil first before serving it. Their red tea on the other hand is delicious and has a sweet aroma.
Overall verdict: If you are looking for an affordable Japanese food and you are near the Binondo and Benavidez area, Sushi yum may be the best bet for you. You get Japanese food comparable to more expensive restos and reasonably priced as well. Minus the traffic.
